2007年VOA标准英语-Rights Group Report: Pre-Trial Detention Leads

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
14 June 2007

More than three million people around the world are being held in prison awaiting trial, nearly one-third of the world's total prison population. A recent study released in South Africa says pre-trial detention¹ is used to excess in many countries and calls for reforms. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.

A group promoting human rights around the world through law reform says the excessive use of pre-trial detention is causing a heavy impact on detainees, their families and society.

The New York-based Open Society Justice Initiative issued the warning following a two-year study.

The group's senior legal officer, Martin Schonteich says that each year 10 million people are arrested around the world on suspicion of criminal behavior. Some remain in jail for a few days, but some may remain for years awaiting trial.

"In many parts of the world pre-trial detention is used quite excessively," said Martin Schonteich. "And it's normally during the period of detention that most abuses by criminal justice systems against defendants³ occur."

Schonteich acknowledges there are acceptable reasons for detaining a criminal suspect while awaiting trial but he says law enforcement officials often do not have enough information to make such a decision.

And in countries where courts are over-burdened it may take years for a trial to be scheduled after which the accused is eventually judged innocent.

The effects of detention are many. Schonteich says the stress of being taken away from families and placed with potentially serious offenders⁴, especially for young people, can be severe.

"One of the sad side effects of this is that the suicide rate of detainees is significantly higher if one compares it to the suicide rate of normal, sentenced prisoners," he said. "It's about three times as high."

He says the emotional impact is also high on the detainee's family and the economic impact can be devastating⁵ if the detainee is the breadwinner.

Lengthy⁶ detentions⁷ cost money, which could be used for other social programs.

And they can be a public health hazard. Detainees placed in close quarters may contract infectious diseases they transmit to their communities when they are released.

As a result, Schonteich says pre-trial detention must be carefully considered.

"[Pre-trial] detention should be used as a last resort, and then only if there are grounds to believe that a defendant² will abscond⁸, interfere⁹ with evidence or witnesses or commit a serious offense," he said.

He says judges should be given sufficient information to allow them to decide whether to detain a suspect until trial. And he says the amount of bail¹⁰ should be affordable¹¹ for the detainee.

He cited programs in several African countries that seek alternatives to excessive pre-trial detention.

In South Africa, civic¹² groups have set up an agency whose members interview detainees soon after their arrest and determine, through their employers or neighbors, whether it is safe to release them to await trial.

In Malawi, which has a severe shortage of lawyers, para-legal professionals are being trained to provide legal advice to detainees right after their arrest.

And in Nigeria, where police resources are stretched thin and there are many arrests, a program provides young lawyers who come quickly to police stations to offer legal advice and, through their presence, some protection from abuse to the detainee.

Finally, Schonteich says a broad-based debate is needed among law enforcement officials, human rights defenders¹³ and general society. This would help find the right balance between appropriate and excessive pre-trial detention and help governments achieve it.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

3 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

7 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

8 abscond   

v.潜逃，逃亡

参考例句：

• Kenobi managed to kill Grievous，and abscond with his starfighter.克诺比试图击毙了格里沃斯，并拿他的战斗机逃跑了。
• You can not abscond from your responsibilities.你不能逃避你的职责。

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

12 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

13 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》